A 19-year-old student astonished X-Factor Malta judges and audience when she turned a traditional Maltese song into an environmental protest, singing a message against environmental destruction on national broadcaster TVM.

When she took the stage on Sunday, Marija Bellia told judges she would sing the Maltese classic 'L-Aħħar Bidwi' (The Last Farmer) with an original interpretation that includes a twist inspired by current affairs.

The performance started like any cover version of the song usually does, but lyrics changed mid-way, describing the derelict fields (raba żdingat) as only reserved for "some tower or flat" or as a means for business.

The song then turned hip-hop, with Bellia describing the lack of greenery, suffocation, and the feeling that everything in the country rests in the hands of contractors who often "cut down trees to erect bastions" while most people feel they can do nothing to change the situation.

Near the end, the song also steals a few lines from another popular Maltese song - Viva Malta - before returning to the traditional lyrics and melody of L-Aħħar Bidwi.

The reimagined classic by Sammy Bartolo had the audience on their feet, cheering and clapping by the end of it.

She was performing during the chair challenge of the programme - when the judges select the six acts who they will take to their glamorous “houses” in each of the four categories.

And all four X-Factor judges agreed Bellia deserved, not only a seat in the chair challenge but also a spot in the programme's live shows coming up in January.